TRUE- HSBC Girls Retreat 2010

The last few weeks have been consumed with much preparation and prayer for our Hunter Street Girl's Retreat for 2010.

I have yet to really sit back and look at all of the ways that the Lord worked- the prayers He answered, the girls that He spoke to, the joy that He provided, the perfect weather, and a reminder of His goodness and grace.

I decided to share with you a summary in pictures of our wonderful weekend. Enjoy :)





We spent our weekend at Shocco Springs in Talledega, Alabama. We started off our time at retreat with worship in the Chapel.
Hillary Dickey led us in worship and was such a delight to our girls...and to Becky and I!




During free time the girls had the option to sleep, do crafts, get snacks, or play Bazooka Ball. Bazooka Ball was by far the most popular choice. It was a sort of paint ball like game but played with nerf guns...perfect for girls :)






What is a girls retreat without craft time? We had 3 different crafts that our girls worked on. They made cute luggage tags, prayer bracelets for missions, and they made scarves for those we will minister to in Linn Park.




Ahh- Cupcake Wars. Some girls thought this meant we would throw cupcakes at one another. Looking back they may have been more fun..but we had a blast decorating cupcakes as teams!





Some of the girls got really creative!!! Others just got...




MESSY! But we all had a blast!




Next up was IPOD IDOL! We had such a blast! The room looked so much fun and we had lots of girls sign up to sing!





Our senior girls did an incredible job hosting the competition...and they definitely entertained!!


A moment I will never forget. All of our girls standing and dancing together...Such fun!






The next morning we woke up and worked out with some ZUMBA! This was a different way to start out our day but definitely woke us up and made for some good laughs and even better pictures!


Our 4th and final session of the retreat was a sweet time focused on Missions


We went around the chapel and prayed for different areas of the world: Asia, Africa, Europe, and the United States



The girls had the opportunity to write down their prayers for the nations and place them on the area of the world that they had focused their cries to the Lord.





We ended our time with worship through song. This time was used to really reflect on our call as believers and daughters of the Most High to GO and make disciples. We looked at what it meant to surrender to ourselves and our desires and truly take up our cross and follow Jesus.





Lord- Thank you for blessing me with the opportunity to serve and live my life alongside these girls every day. Such joy and delight comes from knowing them and how You are at work in their lives. Please continue to allow each of us as your daughters to pursue you with all of ourselves. We love you. -Amen






We cannot wait until next year!!!

Take it easy.

So much has been going on lately. College is nearing an end. Best friends are getting engaged. Life is getting busier, larger, scarier, and more exciting.

I realize that when seasons- such as college- start to come to an end I find myself trying to figure it all out on my own and not spending as much time just still and silent at the foot of the cross.

So tonight- I encourage you to read the words of this Puritans prayer and reflect. Be still.

I know I need it.

"Resting on God" A Puritans Prayer.

O God, most high, most glorious, the thought of Thine infinite serenity cheers me, for I am toiling and moiling, troubled and distressed, but Thou art for ever at perfect peace. Thy designs cause thee no fear or care of unfulfilment, they stand fast as the eternal hills. Thy power knows no bond, Thy goodness no stint. Thou bringest order out of confusion, and my defeats are Thy victories: The Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

I come to Thee as a sinner with cares and sorrows, to leave every concern entirely to Thee, every sin calling for Christ's precious blood; revive deep spirituality in my heart; let me live near to the great Shepherd, hear His voice, know its tones, follow its calls. Keep me from deception by causing me to abide in the truth, from harm by helping me to walk in the power of the Spirit. Give me intenser faith in the eternal verities, burning into me by experience the things I know; Let me never be ashamed of the truth of the gospel, that I may bear its reproach, vindicate it, see Jesus as its essence, know in it the power of the Spirit.

Lord, help me, for I am often lukewarm and chill; unbelief mars my confidence, sin makes me forget Thee. Let the weeds that grow in my soul be cut at their roots; grant me to know that I truly live only when I live to Thee, that all else is trifling. Thy presence alone can make me holy, devout, strong and happy. Abide in me, gracious God.



Amen and Amen.

I pray these words encourage you today.

For a day in your courts is better...

God is good- all the time- God is good.

In August of 2009 I started something called "Tuesday Night Dinners" at my grandparents house with my grandfather, grandmother, Aunt, and cousin. It was a time where I sat with my grandmother and aunt for long periods of time and learned to cook delicious meals, laughed with my family, and made so many memories. It quickly became something that was a non-negotiable part of my week.

On June 26th of this year my sweet grandmama passed away. It was painful. Still is painful. It hurts to breathe when I think about her because I miss her so very much. We talked everyday- more than once. She taught me so much. I always brought her lilies because they were her favorite. We always talked about food- I mean all the time. She loved Jesus. I loved her.

Why in the world am I telling you this now?

Because this past Tuesday night was the first time we have cooked in her kitchen, in her house- Since she passed away.
As I walked into the front door I immediately felt warmth- It was so good to walk in with a hand full of groceries ready to cook for my family. I started to sort through what I had brought- trying to get organized- all the while trying to ignore that fact that she was not sitting in her chair. I found myself several times with questions about how to make my recipe and did not have her to ask.

It ached. Goodness gracious the knot in my stomach seemed immeasurable.

I called one of my best friends when I got into the car and just let loose the tears. It felt good to vent and I was reminded quickly of the fact that Grandmama was home. She was in the courts of the Lord.


The sweet part of this seemingly sad story-

I got home that evening and sat down with my bible feeling oh so weak- I opened up to the Psalms and found refuge, hope, JOY, and such excitement in God's word.

Psalm 84 was where I landed. How good is God to point out His promises to us through reading His word!

Can I just type out the whole Psalm here? Okay- Thank you!

Psalm 84 (ESV)

"My Soul Longs for the Courts of the Lord"

How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
to the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
ever singing your praise! Selah

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion. [2]
6 As they go through the Valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
each one appears before God in Zion.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed!

For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
blessed is the one who trusts in you!"


Oh, to imagine the courts of the Lord!


It was such a sweet reminder of how our lives here on earth are a vapor- and of what is waiting for us as believers for an eternity!

I love the thought of my sweet grandmama waiting for me at the door of the house of my God!

We have victory in Jesus. Death, oh death, Where is your sting?


Thank you Lord for your word, for in it we find rest!

Topsy Turvy Trust

I worry.

I have wrestled more in my life with worry than I think I have anything else.
I worry about getting my school work done.
I worry that middle schoolers think I am cool.
I worry about friends in difficult situation.
I worry about those who do not yet know the Lord.

When you lay down at night...do you?

I have told my close friends of so many nights where I lay down in bed exhausted-
and the minute my head reaches the pillow the worry flows right out of my ears and fill my dark room.

The Lord has been so good to remind me of His promises of protection, provision, and guidance.
I believe in God. I believe that He is sovereign over ALL things.
I believe that He is in control.

Yet-so many times I let the "what ifs" and "if onlys" take over!


I find myself in a season of life that seems to be filled with questions.
The real world is on the horizon and the number of concrete answers about my future can be counted on one hand when It comes to the nuts and bolts of things.

Many close to my heart know that I have truly simplified my prayers to just this-
"Father- Let me want what you want for me. Let me do your will. Period."

This prayer is such a scary one sometimes.
To lay down my desires and wants, my plans- and Trust in God's timing and plans.


I am a part of a group of women that meet each Wednesday at lunch and do a Beth Moore bible study-
Currently we are in the middle of "The Inheritance".

This week in the middle of the study Beth Moore pointed out a scripture that has since rocked my world-
It is found in Isaiah- Chapter 33

verse 6 reads-

"and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; for the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure"

The MacArthur commentary says that "Zion's treasure" means that the best gift a person can receive from God is pure faith that is formed in response to the revelation of God's grace.


He will be the stability of MY TIMES. Not just the good, bad, uncertain, or scary. All times. My stability.
What a gift!


I pray that I live each day taking advantage of the stability, wisdom, and knowledge I am promised through Christ Jesus!

Who? Surely you don't mean me...

What an incredible weekend full of family, much relaxation, and lots of laughter with sweet friends!

The "high" of my weekend is certainly the word that I heard while visiting Auburn United Methodist Church this morning with some friends. The message was something that landed on a very vulnerable part of my spirit- I was challenged, convicted, and too be honest- a little scared about what this truth could mean if I really applied it to my own life.

For the second time this week the Lord lead me to the story of Moses. This morning we landed in Exodus chapter 3. Ahh yes, The Burning Bush! The God of all creation spoke to a very reluctant Moses through a fire consumed piece of nature!

I found so many similarities between how Moses responds to God commands and how I respond-

In Chapter 3 beginning in verse 10-

"Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt. But Moses said to God, " Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh an bring the children of Israel out of Egypt? He said, "But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you..."

and continued down in Chapter 4 verses 10-13

"But Moses said to the Lord, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue. Then the Lord said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak." But he said, "Oh, my Lord, please send someone else."


Well Moses took the words right out of my mouth.

How many times have I tried to tell the Lord how unprepared and unqualified I was for the call He has placed on my life?

How many times have I tried to remind the Lord that there are so many people that could do what I do better than I can?

How many times have I told the Lord to let somebody else do it because I just couldn't handle it?


Goodness gracious- I am guilty!!! So often I find myself thinking that I am just not smart enough to teach, eloquent enough to lead, or prepared enough to minister. I just don't feel like I have all that much to offer- especially compared to some of the incredible people that are placed around me in my life!

But God says to Moses ( and to us)- "Who made man's mouth?...Is it not I, the Lord?"

Talk about a wake up call...God says to us- It does not matter if we feel good enough or if we want to do this- We are called.


This morning the teacher reminded us that our God made us and knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows me-( the good, bad, and ugly)- and still chooses to use me as His vessel. Incredible.

He knows what an idiot I can be at times- how I don't always say the right things- that I am not the smartest girl in the world- that I don't have it all quite figured out yet- but He still chooses to call me and to use me. For His name's sake.


What makes this call even sweeter?
We are promised that when He calls he also equips.

He tells Moses in Ex. Ch 4 vs 12...
"Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak."

We do not have to do this on our own or in our own power.
Trying to fulfill what God has called us to do in our own power is just asking for trouble.

We are to be obedient to our call and in unison allow God to be our mouth, ears, eyes- Be our everything.


I was able to share this passage and these thoughts with our girls in discipleship tonight- and I would like to challenge you- as I am challenging myself to do this-

Examine your life and ask-
What is the Lord calling me to do that I am tuning out?
What is the Lord calling me to do that I do not think I can handle?
Who am I trying to pass my calling off onto to?


I pray that each of our eyes are opened to ways in which the Lord is calling us that we have yet to be willing to listen to.

We will be called. It is up to us to determine the way that we will then answer.

So you wanna change the world...

Give up your Sunday afternoon nap!!! Atleast that is what 25 of our Hunter Street girls did today.

Today was the first of several girl's ministry missions opportunities for this fall.
We loaded up 2 church vans and headed to downtown Birmingham to work at the Pathways Emergency Shelter.

I have to brag on these girls- they did an incredible job serving!





Some sorted an entire bathroom filled with trash bags of donated clothes. This was a huge help to the shelter and will be such a blessing to these women when they have clothes to choose from when the cold weather comes in.




Some loved on women by giving them a "spa" experience with a new polish on their nails and some great time to talk with these women and hear their stories.The one-on-one conversations made the women feel special and loved.





Some of them painted canvases and chose scripture for the women to display in their rooms and take with them when they leave the shelter. We pray that these canvases and scripture will encourage these women to hide God's word in their hearts!


Our girls had homework to take care of, naps calling their names, and other choices to list of Sunday afternoon activities.
They chose to serve and be the hands and feet of Jesus.


The many ways that these girls bless me and point me to Jesus every day is overwhelming.

I pray that I have the same heart to serve the Lord as they do.

As of Late

Wooh...The many ways that the Lord has been at work in my life and the lives of those around me lately blows my mind.. On so many nights blogging tends to make me laugh because it seems impossible to put into words all of the things that have been going on.

God is moving. active. at work.

I decided tonight was the night that I would attempt to verbalize what my heart just wants to scream.

The Lord has made me so sensitive to the work of the enemy lately. I have sensed the presence of the enemy and have called out in the name of the Lord against him more times in the last month than I think I ever have. I have seen satan at work in my life- making me sensitive to the silliest things, jealous of others, and at times feeling like I just plain was not enough for anything.
I have seen the enemy at work in the people that we see in downtown Birmingham. People who are living on the streets involved in drugs, alcohol abuse, physical abuse and much more.

This world, without the light of Jesus Christ, is so awfully dark.

Never in my life have I been more confident that Satan hates what we, as God's children, are working for. He hates to hear us sing praises to Jesus. He loathes our sharing of the gospel with others. He cringes at the faith we put in Christ.

He will fight us.

I recently found myself asking- Am I arming myself up to fight the enemy as much as the enemy is trying to defeat me?
My answer was no. It is so easy to ignore spiritual warfare if you want to. It is simple to go from day to day and look past that fact that an unseen fight is going on between those of the world and those who are children of the light. Not only am I ignoring a battle that is going on- I am supposed to be actively involved in this battle against satan and is schemes.


In 1 Peter 5:6-11 Peter wrote "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen".


Peter assures us that satan is prowling. Looking to devour.
It breaks my heart even now to think of many names of those I know who have given themselves to the ways of the world.

We are called to arm ourselves up against him. To be firm in our faith.
How?
By praying for boldness is fighting the enemy, by studying scripture daily, by constantly being in communication with God


I am not much for physically activity- I have never considered myself an athlete...and it makes me laugh to think about taking up boxing, wrestling, or other hands on sporting things.

However- Thinking about fighting the enemy with all that I have makes me want to put on some boxing gloves and roll.
Satan has made me mad. Ruined the lives of so many. Wants to ruin my life. And sometimes it even looks like he has won.

It is a hard fight to endure but we can find comfort in God's promises mentioned to us in the later part of the passage from above. Verse 10 reminds us that we have been called to God's eternal glory in Christ- and that he will restore, strengthen. confirm, and establish us!

I may be beaten and torn in this battle against Satan- but I am promised victory in Jesus Christ. The battle has been won.


To close- I will share a portion of the hymn, A Mighty Fortress, the Lord brought to my mind this past week- needless to say I have been singing it alot lately-

"And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him."


I desire to live a life that shares the light with everyone we see,
no matter how hard we have to fight the darkness in the process.
Let's remind each other of the battle we are in DAILY. Keep me accountable as a true warrior for Jesus Christ. Will ya join me?